2141smh@aluxe.UUCP (S. M. Henning,) (01/24/85)
**** **** From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA aluxe!2141smh The Mac XL (alias Lisa 2/10) has one problem in the Mac mode using the MacWorks program. The pixels are a different shape and circles on the Mac as in MacPaint or MacDraw look like ovals on the XL. LisaVision is reportedly a board that corrects this problem. However part of the Lisa screen becomes blank since the board changes the viewed portion to be the shape of the Mac screen but at maximum size. Then if you go to Jazz and want to see additional rows and columns per Apple's announcement yesterday, there is a one key change to the regular Lisa screen. Apparently there are expansion slots in the XL which are not in the other Macs. I haven't seen this board. It is available for $79 from: LisaVision, 2441 9th Ave, Sacramento, CA. 95818 or General Computer Center, 1870 Airport Rd., Allentown, PA 215-266-1880.
jwp@utah-cs.UUCP (John W Peterson) (01/26/85)
> The pixels are a different shape and circles on the > Mac as in MacPaint or MacDraw look like ovals on the XL. This is true on MacPaint. However, MacDraw is (according to apple) smart enough to know if it's running on a Lisa and adjusts the porportions accordingly. This is fairly easy for it to do, since it stores geometry and not bits.
brad@gcc-opus.ARPA (Brad Parker) (01/27/85)
In article <654@aluxe.UUCP> 2141smh@aluxe.UUCP (S. M. Henning,) writes: >The Mac XL (alias Lisa 2/10) has one problem in the Mac mode using the >MacWorks program. The pixels are a different shape and circles on the >Mac as in MacPaint or MacDraw look like ovals on the XL. LisaVision >is reportedly a board that corrects this problem. However part of >the Lisa screen becomes blank since the board changes the viewed portion >to be the shape of the Mac screen but at maximum size. Then if you >go to Jazz and want to see additional rows and columns per Apple's >announcement yesterday, there is a one key change to the regular Lisa screen. >Apparently there are expansion slots in the XL which are not in the other Macs. Yes, well, um, Let's not forget that dear old lisa runs at 5mhz with one wait state due to MMU delay and has here sweet little 'ol screen mapped at a different address than Mac. Not to mention the screaming speed which can be obtained using a 5Meg profile. Also, it's not clear that apple talk will work (although it should - via the 6507 controlling the serial port). Oh yes, and it's sooooo portable. -- J Bradford Parker uucp: seismo!harvard!gcc-opus!brad otherwise: what else is there ? "Say something once, Why say it again ?" - David Byrne
breuel@harvard.ARPA (Thomas M. Breuel) (01/27/85)
> [gcc-opus!brad:] > Yes, well, um, Let's not forget that dear old lisa runs at 5mhz with one wait > state due to MMU delay and has here sweet little 'ol screen mapped at a > different address than Mac. Not to mention the screaming speed which can > be obtained using a 5Meg profile. Also, it's not clear that apple talk will > work (although it should - via the 6507 controlling the serial port). > > Oh yes, and it's sooooo portable. A few comments on MacIntosh XL (Lisa) vs MacIntosh: -- The Lisa runs at about the same speed as the MacIntosh -- the CPU has been speeded up to 8MHz. -- The screen is mapped into the same addresses (presumably using the MMU) as it is on the Mac. Its layout is different, however, and programs that access the MacIntosh screen directly won't produce readable output. -- The 5MByte ProFile does not exist anymore, and the 10MByte internal drive is a lot faster. Other manufacturers (Sunol, Corvus) offer fast hard-disks for the Lisa. -- I don't see why Apple's CheapNet should not run with the Lisa serial ports. Even if it does not, the Lisa has three hardware expansion slots (plus a memory expansion slot), which could be used for any kind of interface card, in particular a CheapNet card. Other intefaces are also imaginable (ethernet?). -- The Lisa main memory can be expanded to 1MByte, as opposed to 0.5MByte on the MacIntosh. -- The Lisa is capable of running UN*X because of its MMU. The (current) MacIntosh will never be able to run full UN*X. -- The Lisa screen is a lot larger than the MacIntosh screen. Because of its higher resolutiion, one can work with more windows at the same time. -- I have been using MacIntosh software on the Lisa for 1/2 year now, and almost all MacIntosh programs run on the Lisa. The only exceptions are 'Copy II Mac', which cannot find the disk controller, a game, which died because of a bug in the MacWorks sound driver, and 'Life', which accesses the screen directly. MacIntosh software performs very well on a Lisa because of the larger screen and the larger memory. Altogether, the Lisa 2 is a significantly better machine than the MacIntosh unless (physical) portability is your primary concern. If you have a choice, by all means, buy a Lisa.